Mangement Principles #6 & #7: Decision Making and Doing Your Homework
Sometimes the toughest part of management is decision
making. It definitely comes with the
greatest amount of pressure, and usually it is a self-imposed pressure because
you can become very vulnerable once the decision is made. Once you make a company decision, or what I
call a command decision, you then feel exposed to every one watching and
evaluating the outcome of that decision.
This can be very scary for some.
In fact, it is sometimes the reason people who otherwise are very
capable for promotions choose not to take them.
Likewise, it is sometimes the demise of leaders who make poor decisions
and stick to them, or who simply never make decisions at all. The worst of these is making no decision at
all. It shows the manager to be weak, and it provides no direction to your work
force.
Let’s
discuss the direction piece. By making
command decisions you are providing a path for everyone. Knowing not all of your decisions are going
to be the right ones, you must accept that you may alter the decision as more
information becomes available. If
decision making were a journey, then standing still or not making a decision
would get you nowhere. Making a decision
is the momentum to carry you onward in your journey, and as you learn new
things during the journey, you would use the new information to alter your course. The same comes with making a decision. You are providing momentum to move forward,
but it doesn’t mean that you won’t need to make course corrections during your project.
What
separates those who make good decisions and those who don’t—from those who made
a decision and those who won’t—is simply one thing: Doing your homework. You doing yours, your people doing theirs,
etc. Only through knowledge can a good
decision be made. It is just like the friend
who comes late into a conversation, misses 30 minutes of it, but tries to solve
your problem based on the 30 seconds of conversation they were privy to. It is never sage advice. I am sure you have had those friends in your
life, or even coworkers. Homework
ensures you know what the subject is that your decision effects. How?
First way to gain a thorough knowledge of your Area of Responsibility
(AOR) is to get out from behind your desk and actually get involved at all
levels; from the deckplate to the boardroom.
You cannot lead from behind a desk.
Second, engage your people to teach.
If they can teach both at the deckplate and at your level of management
then you are creating a cohesive workforce.
Never believe you cannot learn from those junior to you. They are the next you or more. Third, ask questions. The first two steps help you to prepare for
anything that may come your way in the future. Asking questions can help you to
make decisions in the moment. If a major decision is to be made, it will take
your experience and the experience of those at the table to collectively help
you make the right decision. Ask
questions and allow those questions to be answered. Even if they become action
items to be answered prior to you making the decision, be patient (but don’t
waste time, either).
Now,
it’s time to make a decision. Once you
do, give it time to develop before you take praise or change your
decision. Allow it to grow. Don’t make a decision then just walk
away. It may need some nurturing. Slight tweaks. Stick with it, but do not make the mistake of
thinking your decision was the right one because Murphy is always lurking around
the corner.
On
another note, be sure you empower your people to make decisions as well, and
support their decisions while nurturing them.
You will develop a team that will go forth and do great things.
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